2025 Funding Appeal

Help Transform the Lives of Young People with Disabilities in Northern Uganda

Enhancing the Capacity of Persons with Disability (ETC of PWD) has partnered with Gulu Disabled Persons Union (GDPU) over the past eight years. This partnership has transformed the lives of over 580 young persons with disabilities across Northern Uganda. We have achieved this through vocational skills training, literacy, numeracy, business development and community engagement skills, personal development and ongoing support.

ETC of PWD Summary Report 2017 - 2025 — VPlus Cohort 1 Graduation Day Graduates with the GDPU Chair: Allii Geoffrey

We have now launched a £16,000 funding appeal to improve significantly the training facilities at GDPU. This will place its Vocational Training Institute (VTI) on a sustainable footing. It will mean that their VTI can meet its full potential, by registering as a national skills training centre for persons with disabilities; the first in Uganda.

This short video from GDPU explains the reasons for the bid and what the extra funding will do:

GDPU’s approach and results have been widely praised by funders, beneficiaries and their families including the British government’s UK Aid Direct which joint funded a large program with ETC between 2020 to 2023. It gave an A+ evaluation score with “outcomes exceeding expectations”.

“Before enrolling for the skills training in 2022, I was not valued
…. I dropped out of school …. I was seen as marriage material at a very young age.
The VPlus project change everything. It was a miracle. I can say I learnt new employable skills in hairdressing; I identified my talent and potential through music, dance and drama.”
Adoch Fiona, VPlus Graduate.

The demand for training and support has grown because of this success. To meet this demand on a sustainable basis, GDPU needs your help to expand and improve its infrastructure.

How Your Donation Will Make a Difference

This £16,000 funding appeal will support vital improvements to the GDPU campus, listed below, and fund training for 15 new students from low-income families in the first year.

Classroom Blocks (2): £4,710
Girls’ Dormitory: £3,370
Community Room & Meeting Space: £1,870
Accessible Toilet Facilities & Pathways: £3,150
15 Training Places: £2,860

Total: £15,960 (approx. $21,890 or €18,580)

These upgrades will provide the physical space necessary for sustainable growth and allow GDPU to meet the increasing demand for its services.

The new classroom blocks will create better learning environments. The girls’ dormitory will provide a safe space for young women to stay during their training.

Improving accessibility on campus will ensure that everyone, regardless of mobility challenges, can participate fully. These improvements will unlock funding to transform the lives of an estimated 70 trainees a year.